Lashkar militant arrested in Samba: Police

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police Saturday arrested a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant in Samba district of Jammu region who was involved in the killing of three BJP workers and a police man last year.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said a police team from Anantnag district travelled to Samba and caught the Lashkar (TRF) militant alive. “The arrested militant had killed three BJP workers and a police man last year in Kulgam district and was wanted,” he said. He said that the militant was being brought to Kashmir for further investigations.
A police spokesman in a statement issued here said that Aantnag Police along with Samba police arrested an active militant of LeT (TRF) outfit from Bari Brahmana area of Samba district and recovered incriminating materials from his possession.
“Based on credible information about presence of a local militant in Teli Basti, Bari Brahmana area of Samba district, Anantnag police along with Samba police arrested an active militant during a covert operation. He has been identified as Zahoor Ahmad Rather alias Khalid alias Sahil of Jalkreeri Dooru area of district Anantnag, affiliated LeT (TRF) outfit,” the spokesman said.
As per police records, the arrested militant was involved in the killing of three BJP workers in Vessu area of district Kulgam, last year. “He was also involved in the killing of a policeman namely HC Abdul Rashid Dar of Furrah on July 22, 2020 outside his residence. Besides target killings in South Kashmir, he was also instrumental in recruiting innocent youth into militant ranks. He along with another terrorist Abbas Sheikh were running the militant outfit LeT (TRF),” the police spokesman said.
He said that a preliminary inquiry revealed that the arrested militant had joined LeT (TRF) outfit in year 2020. It is pertinent to mention here that he was earlier affiliated with Hizb in the year 2002 and crossed over to Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) for obtaining arms training. “He along with some foreign militants infiltrated back via Rajouri and later on surrendered before security forces in the year 2006,” the police spokesman said